Teaching Philosophy​

For as long as I can remember, I have been playing music and have known that I wanted to be a music teacher. What I want to pass onto my students is that same love and passion for music that would last them a lifetime. I aim to create an environment in my studio that is both low-key and goal oriented with my students to coming away from their lessons with a sense of accomplishment, a clear idea of what is expected of them for the next lesson, and a curiosity for what’s ahead. Students are expected to practice daily, but I also understand that life sometimes gets in the way. I emphasize the importance of regular practice, not the total number of minutes, because practicing even just a little bit every day is way more beneficial than cramming right before the lesson.

For both flute and piano students I have method books and standard repertoire that I use, but I also encourage students’ input on choosing pieces. I often tell my students: “It’s your lesson. What do you want to do with it?” All genres are welcome, since I personally also enjoy playing and listening to all sorts of music including classical, pop, Irish folk, and jazz.

I put together biannual recitals in an intimate setting in my home studio. The atmosphere is very relaxed and casual. I see the recital as a reason to polish the pieces until we are both satisfied. Then the recital becomes just a reason to share that love of music and not about nerves and pressure. The only person you compete with is you!

There are much scientific research done showing the benefits of music lessons, especially in a young child. Learning music helps develop fine motor skills, aides in emotional and behavioral maturation, improves attention skills, helps manage anxiety, and improves emotional control.

A Canadian study, published in February in the The Journal of Neuroscience, found that childhood music lessons boost the ability of older adults to hear speech, a skill that begins to weaken later in life. The study found “robust” evidence that “starting formal lessons on a musical instrument prior to age 14 and continuing intense training for up to a decade appears to enhance key areas in the brain that support speech recognition.” Even music lessons taken later life can help rehabilitate the brains of older adults.

For me, another important aspect would be perseverance and stick-to-it-ness. By knowing that we can get through the rough patches together, the student learns to not give up. The student learns strategies for problem solving and we come up with practice methods and schedules together. This results in greater self reliance and self confidence which will spill over into many other areas of learning.